TCM Today
We have seen it on TV, in magazines and all over the web, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has developed from an obscure healing art, to what is now respected as a powerful form of medicine. Combining the “five branches” of Chinese medicine - acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, energetics and massage, practitioners of TMC customize a synergistic prescription designed to restore balance and well-being to the body. Recent advocates such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Institute of Health (NIH) have declared the efficacy of TCM for a myriad of conditions, propelling this medicine forward as one of America’s fastest growing choices for primary healthcare.
Today, many acupuncturists can be found in the integrative medicine department of larger hospitals. Contributing to successful outcomes with cancer, diabetes, fertility, even stroke patients, TCM has become a valuable partner to Western medicine. It is interesting to consider that what was pioneered more that 5,000 years ago in ancient China, is now becoming what many consider the “future of healthcare”.
Doctors are not the only ones taking notice; currently acupuncturists are considered primary healthcare providers in California with Medi-Cal, California’s healthcare for low income families, including 2 treatments per month. The insurance companies benefit as well, consider a patient with gallstones; provided they haven’t reached a dangerous level, even non-invasive surgery will cost almost ten times what acupuncture and herbal medicine can correct, safely and naturally.
Patients feel empowered when TCM practitioners offer recommendations to improve their diets and lifestyle. They can take the responsibility for their health into their own hands and learn to prevent illness rather than recover from it. The fact is, statistics indicate that the popularity of acupuncture and Chinese medicine is on the rise, and that more Americans are looking for a natural approach to address their healthcare needs, and acupuncturists are effectively meeting that need.